But I always thought I'd see you again...

Rick and Lori sat side by side on the bottom step, right outside Lori's cell. Their fingers were loosely entwined together.

"I'm gonna need time. Eight months is a long time…all over nothing." Lori whispered. "I was hurt. Physically when you pushed me and emotionally since then."

"I'm so sorry, Lori."

Lori was silent for a moment, just as others were starting to filter out of their cells. A few did a double take to see the estranged couple sitting together. "If you didn't bring Hershel back, how long would we have lived like that?" Lori said, her voice cracking. "It was hell, Rick. I felt like you shoudda just shot me and gotten it over with."

Rick took a deep breath, and tried to remember the speech he had planned. "Please let me say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there for you. I should have been the man you needed. You have every right to hate me. You have every right to tell me to go to hell and that you never want to see me again. I'm the world biggest asshole. Last night I didn't barely slept. I stared at the ceiling all night long, thinking about you and what our love use to be. I sat outside your door because I wanted to talk to you. I think that after all these years later, this isn't love that I still feel in my heart. It's fear. It's the feeling that I haven't had since I woke up in that hospital bed. I'm so scared, Lori. I'm scared I'll never be loved as much as you loved me, and I'm so fucking scared I'll never love anybody as much as I love you. I would do anything to change the past year. Anything. I let my damn pride get in the way, and then I thought we were too far gone. I wanted to approach you, but I just couldn't open that door. I thought there'd be more time. I wanted to find a safe place for you and the kids, and I'd work on us. I thought we could fix it. Then I didn't know how. It seemed like it was easier to stay mad at each other than to make a move. I would watch you. When you weren't looking, I would be looking at you. I miss seeing your smile. I miss being with you. I know I've been a shit husband. I don't know what more to say. It'll take time, and I'm willing to wait for however long it is, but please forgive me. I want you back. I'll do whatever it takes. Please, please, forgive me for the way I treated you. You deserve so much better than the monster I've become. I never stopped loving you. I still love you. I'm in love with you, and I like to think you're still in love with me."

She was wiping tears away from her eyes, and Rick had tears spilling out of his.

"Rick. I don't hate you. I was mad and hurt. But I don't hate you. I still love you too."

Rick folded her into his arms and they both held onto each other tightly.

"I hate myself for every second I ignored you. There's not enough time in the world for me to say how sorry I am. You were everything to me. You still are. You were my rock during the bad times, and the only one I wanted to come home to. You made me so happy, and I treated you like shit. I guess the old saying is true, that you don't know what you have until it's gone. I'm sorry, Lori. I'm sorry. I'll say that every day for the next thousand years. I hope that someday you forgive me, because I'll never forgive myself. I'm an asshole. I'm a shit husband. But I still want to be your husband. I'll do whatever it takes. If you take me back I'll do everything I can to make it right." He said, his voice cracking and his tears landing on her shoulder.

"I love you too. I never stopped."

"I was so scared I'd lose you. But I couldn't look you in the face. All the guilt I felt, I didn't know how to start. It was like there was this wall, and I couldn't get past it. I miss you. I miss us. I miss waking up with you in my arms. Last night I wanted for nothing more than to just fall asleep with you in my arms, just like we used to. I need someone to hold me together, because I swear I'm falling apart."

Rick started sobbing, and after rubbing his back Lori looked around and made eye contact with Carol. She walked over and shooed them away. She held her husband's hand as they went in the infirmary together.

Andrea woke up with a slight hangover and brought Amy down to have Carol watch her.

"She's hungry, Andrea."

"I drank a lot last night. Maybe get Little Miss Can't be wrong do it." she said as she turned and walked back to her cell.

Carl and Judy work up within minutes of each other, and Julia started fussing. Carol had her hands full with two crying infants, and knew she needed Lori to help. With a child in each arm she went to the infirmary and as soon as the door opened she saw the two together.

"Oh God, sorry…" Carol said, after she quickly turned her back.

"Um, everything okay?" Lori asked, as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yep. Andrea's hung over and can't nurse Amy, and Julia just work up."

Carol smirked as she heard Rick zip up his pants and walk over. She turned half way and saw Lori adjusting the bed to an upright position so she could nurse both babies at once.

"I'm so sorry. Just the kids are all up, and…I'm sorry.

"It's all right." Lori said. She sat back and took one Amy at one breast and Julia in another. The girls immediately started eating.

"I'll bring you some breakfast." Carol told the before she left the room with a grin on her face.

When the door shut Rick looked at Lori and said he'll go check on Judy and Carl. He bend down for a kiss, his tongue pushing its way between her lips to conquer her mouth.

"I want you," she whispered.

"I want you too."

"Mm-hmm," she agreed by moaning consent into his mouth.

"You're the only one I want" His blue eyes meeting her browns.

Lori took a deep breath and sat down. She'd heard the sincerity in Rick's voice. She knew he was the kind of man who took fidelity seriously. She knew he was telling the truth when he said she was the only one he wanted.

Andrea was nothing. All that worry for nothing.

"I'll be back" he said softly, before stealing one last kiss. "The babies can borrow those titties, but I get them back later." He chuckled, before he walked away.

Daryl stood on the floor between Jessie's thighs, with his cock buried in the young man's ass, and he was controlling the slow pumping action. "Ain't done yet." The redneck said, hoarsely.

After Daryl released Jessie, he turned the young man on his back, put his legs over his shoulders and fucked him while he looked into Jessie's eyes. He did it slowly, excruciatingly slowly. Jessie moaned and clutched at Daryl's ass, arched his back, and opened his mouth in a silent scream of being overwhelmed. And Jessie smiled inside as he felt Daryl strengthen in size and intensity inside him, tighten his embrace, and begin to pant hard…panting harder for Jessie because of how the young man was manipulating him.

Jessie tightened his ass on Daryl's throbbing cock, something Jessie only recently had learned he could control. The young man slowly began to move his hips in rhythm with the fuck, increasing the intensity as if it was an involuntary reaction Jessie couldn't control because Daryl was fucking him so masterfully. Jessie lolled his head to the side, and whimpered, "C'mon honey, cream me." And he felt the victory of control as Daryl did just that and collapsed on top of him with a deep groan.

Rick said a quick good morning to Hershel, Beth, Carol, Maggie, Ty, Michonne, and Glenn before getting breskfast for Carl and Judy, then he collected two portions of food and going back to the infirmary.

As he was leaving, Allen and his sons, as well Ty and Michonne's five children came into the kitchen area. Abe and Merle came downstairs from their night shift in the guard tower.

"I think everyone's here, for once," Glenn chuckled, as he smiled at Maggie.

"Sasha, Bob, Jessie and Daryl." Carol noted. "Rick and Lori are in the infirmary."

"Are they okay? They need me to help?" Maggie asked. "I was a nurse before all this happened."

Carol looked flustered and said "yes, they're fine. And no…they don't need anybody."

"About damn time." Abe remarked.

"I am starving!" Jessie said. "You wore me out last night. And this morning. And five minutes ago." He chuckled as he and Daryl walked toward the kitchen.

Daryl open the door and Jessie glided into the room, until his face dropped when he saw someone familiar.

"Jackson!" Hershel snapped.